


The Blind Date

by Datawolf39



Series: DiP AUs [4]
Category: Death in Paradise
Genre: Blind Date, Different Meeting, Doug gets some comeuppance, F/M, Messing with cannon, OFC - Freeform, OOC, Richard is socially awkward, cute and fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22370074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Datawolf39/pseuds/Datawolf39
Summary: Richard is stood up on a date organized by a friend, Camille comes to his rescue
Relationships: Camille Bordey/Richard Poole
Series: DiP AUs [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1529492
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	The Blind Date

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [she blows out of nowhere, roman candle of the wild](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6169825) by [mygalfriday (BrinneyFriday)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrinneyFriday/pseuds/mygalfriday). 



> Got inspired when I read a fic, and thought the situation would work well for these two.

"'Go on a date Richard,' she said. 'Loosen up and live a little'" Richard mumbled under his breath hating Charlotte with a passion. This was the second time that she had set him up, and the first had been a disaster.

Why did he put up with her again? Immediately memories of her comforting him after Doug joined the team flashed through his mind. Yeah, despite her need to see him in a relationship, she was a good friend, and honestly he didn't deserve her.

Richard tried not to look as embarrassed as he felt as the second hour passed with no sign of his date. He didn't even know why he was still waiting, he should just get up, and walk away, not like it would be the first time that he was stood up on a date. Somehow a shameful walk out of a popular restaurant, from the center table no less, was not what he wanted from his night.

Just as he was about to call the waiter over, and pay for the glass of wine he had been nursing for the past two hours, the chair across from him was filled.

The woman was a dark skinned beauty, ebony hair framed her face, and she was nothing like his date was supposed to look.

"Sorry I'm late mon cher, the plane was delayed."

Richard frowned. "But-"

She cut him off by laying a hand on his, and even one as unversed in social cues as he was, could tell she was signaling for him to play along. He weighed his options, dinner with a French beauty or walking out the door to a bunch of stares, pity, and probably some laughter. Definitely an easy choice.

"Why didn't you call?" The tone was more accusatory than he wanted, his frustration about his real date bleeding through. He sighed. "I was starting to worry," he said voice a little kinder. She, whoever this woman was, didn't deserve to have his ire when she was only trying to help.

"Maman was talking to me the moment I was off the plane. You know how she is, 'Camille you need to settle down. When will I have grandbabies?'." 

Richard found himself fighting a smile. She was a clever one, working her name into the conversation so easily. Her eyes were challenging him. Well he was good at being clever.

"Are you so embarrassed of me that you don't want your mother to know about me?" God he sounded like an insecure idiot.

"No, it's just all so new," she said with a smile, that had no right to be as comforting as it was, “I am also a little afraid for you, my mother is a formidable woman."

She had to be considering the way her daughter turned out.

Camille laughed, and Richard blushed as he realized that he had said that out loud.

He cleared his throat and tried to be less awkward. "Would she seem so intimidating in a business setting?"

She shot him a look of confusion.

"For example, mother, this is my beau, Detective Inspector Richard Poole, Richard this is my mother, and then proceed from there." 

Camille laughs. "Richard," she says, "my mother is not that old fashioned, she would probably laugh herself into an early grave if I introduced you like that."

"She wouldn't be such a big issue then," Richard remarks before he considers how that sounds. "Not that I want your mother dead I just meant-," he tries, then he shakes his head there is no way to salvage that without making it worse.

"I know what you meant mon cher," she says.

He startles at that. He figured once she knew his name she would stop with the endearment.

He saved by the return of the waiter asking if they were ready to order. The man couldn't take his eyes off Camille, which was fair she was quite stunning in a simple black number that left the perfect amount of her to the imagination.

Two sets of eyes snap to him, and he struggles not to flush.

"Flattery will get you everywhere Richard," she says putting extra emphasis on his name.

By the time he can open his mouth, the waiter is gone, apparently he's been out of it long enough for Camille to order for the both of them.

"Why did I agree to this," he groans, all he has done is embarrass himself, he's just not meant to be around people.

"Because it would have been rather sad to end an evening at a restaurant like this hungry and alone. Am I not good company?" she asks, and to his shock she's not being playful, she seems genuinely concerned that he doesn't like her.

"You're perfect," he says unable to help giving her an appreciative glance, "I'm the one that's not quite..." he gestures at himself so he doesn't have to say the words. He knows that he is not the most attractive man, surely she must see that.

Her eyes softened, and she gazes right at him and says in a teasing yet honest tone, "I don't flirt with people I don't find attractive."

He nearly chokes on his wine, and she has the nerve to laugh at him.

Thankfully, the food arrived before he could make a bigger fool of himself.

He sulkily pokes at his food when he considers the teasing that he is going to get when he got to work. Even when he was secretive, which was always, everyone seemed to find out things that he would much rather keep quiet.

“What is the matter Richard?”

Richard sighed he wasn’t going to burden her with his problems.  
“Please tell me?”

“I’m not looking forward to going to work this week,” he admits.

“Why not, do you dislike your job?”

“No, the job I like,” he says perking up a bit, because he really did love what he did, “the people are the problem.”

“Ah I see,” she said. “Maybe that will change soon.”

“Not likely,” he huffs.

Her phone beeps, and takes a look at it. He can tell that it’s important, and so he hides his disappointment, and says, “I’ll walk you out.”

“That would be wonderful,” she says, and Richard calls the waiter so that he can pay for the meal.

It is raining, as usual, and he waits with her until a cab arrives. “Thank you for the meal, I had a lovely time,” she says with a kiss to his cheek.

“Thanks for rescuing me,” he says as he shuts the door behind her.

~

He tells Charlotte he was stood up, but he doesn’t mention the angel that came to his rescue, he wants to keep her to himself for a little while. 

“Hey Dick, heard your date was a flop,” Doug laughs when Richard shows up to work the next day, and it dawns on Richard, that Doug might have had something to do with that, although, it backfired since unbeknown to the bully a wonderful woman had salvaged his evening.

Richard tries to ignore him which is impossible as always, and by now the whole building probably knows considering Doug’s volume. Thankfully there is a meeting so he doesn’t have to endure it for too long. 

Richard sits in the front row, and nearly passes out when Camille walks into the conference room alongside his boss.

“This is DS Camille Bordey, she is on loan from the Sainte Marie police force as part of the officer exchange program, please make her feel welcome. DS Bordey would you like to introduce yourself?”

Everything gets a bit hazy after that because she makes eye contact with him and winks. Did he need a doctor? His heart was beating very quickly, all of a sudden, and was seemingly trying to propel itself right out of his chest.

When the world settles once more, everyone is filing out of the room, and he hurries to follow suit. He is just out the door, when a hand lands on his arm. He turns, and Camille is standing right there, smiling at him.

“I had a good time last night,” she said as they walked, “any chance we could do it again?”

“That would be fraternizing,” he says, and regrets it instantly.

“I’m on loan,” she replies, as though she had expected him to say that. 

He smirked, of course there was a loophole.

“When are you free?”

“Tonight,” she relied.

Enough was enough. He would not allow her to make him flustered everytime she spoke. “We’ll leave together then,” he said, and then he kissed her. It was a little more chaste than he would have liked, but they were at work.

He smiled as he took in her stunned expression, she hadn’t expected that, it felt good to be able to make her feel as flustered as she made him feel.

Thankfully, there were only two witnesses. Charlotte, who was squealing silently, like a fangirl whose favorite couple had finally gotten together, and Doug Anderson, who looked at them in complete disbelief.

Only over another dinner, several weeks later would Richard question this, and learn that Charlotte, and Camille had become united behind the cause of making Richard happy, and making Doug Anderson’s life a nightmare. Richard was insanely pleased when the man transferred a month later.


End file.
